| Ips confusus | |
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| Ips confusus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Curculionidae |
| Subfamily: | Scolytinae |
| Tribe: | Ipini |
| Genus: | Ips |
| Species: | I. confusus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ips confusus (LeConte, 1876) | |
Ips confusus, known generally as the pinyon pine beetle or pinyon ips, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in Central America and North America. [1] [2] [3]
The pinyon ips is a small, brown, cylindrical bark beetle with spines on the distal portion of the abdomen, which is typical for this genus of bark beetles. Pinyon ips has five such spines. The adult’s length ranges between 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) and 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm). [4]
Ips confusus play an important role in pinyon-juniper forests by killing weak or damaged pinyon pine trees. This can improve habitat diversity, create canopy gaps allowing shade intolerant species in the seed bank to germinate, provide snag habitat, and contribute organic material to the soil. [5]
The beetles cause tree mortalities by boring into the living tissues of the cambium layer just below the bark. They feed on xylem and phloem, disrupting the transportation and storage of water, nutrients, and sugar. Under normal circumstances, most healthy pinyons are not at risk of Ips infestations. However, beetle population booms, drought, comorbid fungal infections, or a combination of these can lead to an increased risk of infestation, even in healthy trees. [5]
Pinyon pines respond to beetle attacks by creating pitch tubes – an inundation of sap at the site of the initial hole bored by the beetle. The sap defends the tree by pushing out the beetle and sealing the wound. [5]
Water stress can compromise the effectiveness of the pitch tube defense, requiring less effort from the beetle for a successful infestation. Furthermore, slash left over from logging or thinning can provide a surplus of habitat for beetle populations to flourish. Pinyon engraver population booms can overwhelm even healthy trees, and often lead to widespread pinyon mortalities. If a beetle successfully bores into a pinyon, the sap that was once deployed as a defense now plays a role in attracting more beetles. The pinyon engraver bio-oxidizes terpenes present in the sap to produce pheromones signaling the location of a suitable host, which in turn draws free-flying beetles en masse to join the attack. As the number of beetles colonizing the ill-fated pinyon grow, so does the strength of the pheromone signal. Depending on environmental conditions and signal strength, some Ips species can detect and respond to this call from over eleven miles away. [5]
Generally, it is the male beetles that colonize the tree. Upon entry, their first task is to bore a nuptial chamber. This is an area suitable for the male and two to six females to mate. After mating, each female bores an egg gallery out from the nuptial chamber following along the grain of the wood. [5]
In the egg galleries, the female will etch around 20 to 30 small niches where a single egg, packed in with debris, is laid. The eggs normally hatch after seven days. The larvae pupate after three to six weeks and emerge from the tree as adults, then follow the pheromone trail to the next potential host tree where the cycle starts again. The year’s first generation normally emerge in April or May, depending on temperatures. It is common for the pinyon engraver to produce three to four generations a year. Adults overwinter in the tree in sinuous feeding galleries. [5]
A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true weevil" family (Curculionidae). Although the term "bark beetle" refers to the fact that many species feed in the inner bark (phloem) layer of trees, the subfamily also has many species with other lifestyles, including some that bore into wood, feed in fruit and seeds, or tunnel into herbaceous plants. Well-known species are members of the type genus Scolytus, namely the European elm bark beetle S. multistriatus and the large elm bark beetle S. scolytus, which like the American elm bark beetle Hylurgopinus rufipes, transmit Dutch elm disease fungi (Ophiostoma). The mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae, southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis, and their near relatives are major pests of conifer forests in North America. A similarly aggressive species in Europe is the spruce ips Ips typographus. A tiny bark beetle, the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei is a major pest on coffee plantations around the world.
Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.
The European spruce bark beetle, is a species of beetle in the weevil subfamily Scolytinae, the bark beetles, and is found from Europe to Asia Minor and some parts of Africa.
Ips is a genus of beetles in the family Curculionidae, the true weevils. They are bark beetles, members of the subfamily Scolytinae. Species are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Some are known as introduced species in Australia and Africa. Many species are pests of forest trees, especially pines and spruces. They are known commonly as engraver beetles, ips engraver beetles, and pine engravers.
Dendroctonus valens, also known as the red turpentine beetle, is a species of bark beetle characterized by a dark-reddish brown hue. It is native to forests across North and Central America. In its adult form, these beetles range from six to ten millimeters in length. A notable characteristic about them is their use of acoustic signals and chemical cues when engaging in what is a very complex mating process.
Ips avulsus, the small southern pine engraver, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. The pheromones ipsenol, ipsdienol, and lanieron combined attract the most colonization in the host material in regards to the chemical ecology of the small southern pine engraver, which also effects their reproduction processes.
Xylosandrus crassiusculus, known generally as the Asian ambrosia beetle or granulate ambrosia beetle, is a species of tropical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is native to Asia and has spread to Africa, Europe, Australasia and the Americas. The adult beetle is reddish-brown and some 2 to 3 mm long.
Dendroctonus brevicomis, the western pine beetle, is a species of crenulate bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America and parts of Mexico. It is known as a destructive pest of ponderosa and Coulter pine trees. When drought makes these pines more susceptible to infestations by D. brevicomis, there is an increased risk of forest fires due to dead trees.
Ips borealis is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
Xyloterinus is a genus of typical bark beetles in the family Curculionidae. This is a monotypic genus and the one described species is Xyloterinus politus. It is native to North America where it infests both hardwood and softwood trees, as well as stacks of logs.
Pityogenes is a genus of typical bark beetles in the family Curculionidae. There are more than 30 described species in Pityogenes.
Scolytus rugulosus, known generally as shothole borer, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. Other common names include the fruit tree bark beetle and apple tree beetle.
Pissodes nemorensis, known generally as the eastern pine weevil or deodar weevil, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America and Africa. Deodar weevils are considered a forest pest in the United States, with adults and larvae feeding on a variety of coniferous tree species, including trees such as deodar cedar, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, sand pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, and spruce pine Trees of all ages are susceptible to weevil infestations, while trees that are severely stressed by fire, drought, extreme cold, fusiform rust, wind damage, and other problems are prone to weevil infestation. In well-managed pine stands, deodar weevil infestations are sporadic, attacking only the suppressed and unhealthy trees throughout the area. Because they do not typically effect healthy trees, they do not usually alter traditional management strategies. Unlike many other forest pests in the eastern United States, deodar weevils are most active in the winter months, and this is often when sign of infestations can be seen. The best way to avoid a deodar weevil infestation is to maintain good tree and stand health: healthy trees do not typically face mortality or extensive damage from these pests. If an infestation has occurred, pesticides can be used in the fall as the weevils become active, but are typically not recommended.
Dendroctonus jeffreyi, known generally as the Jeffrey pine beetle or mountain pine beetle, is a species of crenulate bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America. The Jeffrey pine beetle is monophagous on the Jeffrey pine tree, a dominant yellow pine and most concentrated in areas ranging from Southwestern Oregon to Baja California to western Nevada. In its native range, it causes a significant amount of damage as large numbers of tree mortality have been documented. It is known to cause significant changes to the composition and structure of the Jeffrey pine tree.
Dendroctonus adjunctus, the roundheaded pine beetle, is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae found in North America. A parasite, the roundheaded pine beetle feeds on and eventually kills pine trees of several species in Guatemala, Mexico, and the Southern United States.
Ips calligraphus, known generally as coarsewriting engraver, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. Other common names include the six-spined engraver beetle and six-spined ips. It is found in North America.
Tanymecus confusus is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
Ips paraconfusus, the California fivespined ips, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
Ips pilifrons is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.
Ips pini, also known as the pine engraver or North American pine engraver, is a species of typical bark beetle in the family Curculionidae found primarily in North America. These beetles are subcategorized by the distinctive geographic ranges in which they are found. A key distinguishing feature of different populations is how they produce the enantiomeric composition of ipsdienol, the major pheromone produced by males of this species.
This article incorporates public domain material from Pinyon Ips: Causes death of mature pinyon pines (PDF). United States Forest Service. 2011. This article incorporates public domain material from David Greene. Cool Bug Facts: The Pinyon and The Engraver. National Park Service.
Media related to Ips confusus at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: National |
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